Creative Writing Concentration

The Creative Writing Concentration is a competitive program within
the English major that is geared toward students who wish to pursue an
intensive specialization in creative writing in the context of advanced
literary study.

The Creative Writing Concentration supports a rigorous study of
contemporary writing practices and their roots, influences, and
precursors. Students learn that writing is a practice that involves an
ongoing negotiation of the tensions between creativity and discipline,
experimentation and structure, critical analysis and textual production.

In addition to meeting the core requirements for the English major,
students must complete four courses within the concentration: 1) a
Techniques course or an Intermediate Workshop; 2) an Intermediate or
Advanced Workshop; 3) an Intermediate or Advanced Workshop; 4) a Special
Topics course or other genre-focused course. (An Advanced Workshop may
be repeated for credit.) The Intermediate and Advanced Workshops and
some Special Topics courses are enrolled by permission of instructor
through an application process explained on the course pages in WesMaps.

Students who intend to concentrate in Creative Writing must complete
an Intermediate or Advanced Workshop with a grade of B+ or higher. They
should also be aware that they are not guaranteed a place in Creative
Writing permission of instructor (POI) courses and that admission to the
concentration is not guaranteed. A student cannot enroll in more than
one Intermediate or Advanced Workshop offered in the same term.

As students pursue the Creative Writing Concentration, they should
keep alternative concentrations in mind. Students who have not been
able to successfully complete the four courses required for this
concentration - or have not fulfilled the grade requirement in an
Intermediate or Advanced Workshop - will find that nearly all the
courses they have taken will contribute to the Theory and Literary Forms
Concentration. Please note that students are free to pursue any of the
other concentrations.